I teach engineers at UW. SPIN builds the pipeline.
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
STEM Paths Innovation NetworkI've spent 15 years opening doors in STEM. Help me keep them open!
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As an engineer and educator at the University of Washington, I've watched hundreds of students arrive at my door — talented, curious, full of potential. But I've also seen who doesn't make it to that door. Girls who never saw themselves as engineers. BIPOC students who had no mentors who looked like them. Young people who were never given a real chance to try.
That gap isn't about talent. It's about access. And closing that gap is why I joined the board of STEM Paths Innovation Network — SPIN.
SPIN runs free, hands-on STEM programs across King County — connecting youth, especially girls and youth of color, with mentors, real-world projects, and clear pathways to college and careers.
Two programs I'm fighting to protect:
Where the pipeline begins
A program for girls and gender-expansive youth of color in grades 6–10. Students work alongside mentors of color, go on Field Days, and present a Capstone project — often their first real experience being seen as a STEM leaders.
Where it becomes a career
Individualized college and career readiness for SPIN Forward alumni in 11th and 12th grade. Small cohort, high-touch mentorship, and real internship access — the kind of support that changes what a student believes is possible for their future.
Both programs are currently at risk due to funding losses. Without community support this Give BIG season, SPIN may have to pause them entirely — interrupting the pipeline for students who are already mid-journey.
I've spent my career advocating for students who are underrepresented in STEM — including helping build and pass Washington State's SB-5166 into law. I know what it takes to create systemic change. And I know that it starts with moments like this one: a student who shows up on a Saturday morning because someone believed it was worth building something for her.
Give BIG is our chance to make sure those students aren't turned away.